Tongue-switch.



R. B. EINSTEIN.

TONGUE SWITCH.

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1,1 12,058, Patented Sept 29, 1914.

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TONGUE swrroa.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. EINSTEIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB T0 ST. LOUIS FROG & SWITCH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

TONGUE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Sept. 29, 191st.

To all whom it may concern her that is interposed between the Wedge Be it known that I, Ronnnr E. EINSTEIN, l and the pivot pin on the tongue.

u citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in 'longue-Switches, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tongue switches and has for its main object to provide a switch in which the tongue is provided at its heel end with an integral pivot pin of relatively great length and area, whose lower end rests on a horizontally dis osed bearing surface on the body part 0 the switch, and whose front side is engaged by a device that locks the tongue in Operative position in the body part, the rear half of the tongue having a vertically disposed convex bearing surface that is embraced by a vertically disposed concave bearing surface on the body part of the switch.

Another object is to provide a tongue switch that comprises means of novel con struction for locking the tongue in operative position, and for adjusting the tongue longitudinally of the body part of the switch to compensate for wear on the cooperating pivotal bearing surfaces on the body part and on the pivot pin of the tongue, said means being so designed that it can be applied and removed easily. And still another object is to provide a ton ue switch in which the parts are so designe that very little finishing of the castings is require thereby producing a device that is well adapted for manganese steel.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is aside elevational view of the tongue. Fig. 6 iso vertical longitudinal view of the body part. I Fig. 7' is a perspective view of the wedge 1 and Fig. "'8 is tit-perspective view of the bearing memlcferring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the body part of the switch, which is provided with a horizontally disposed bearing surface 1, on which the tongue B slides laterally. Atthe heel end of the tongue is an integral pivot pin B, which is comparatively long and of relativel great area, said pivot pin projecting downwardly into a chamber A in the body part A that is provided with a horizontally disposed bearing surface 2, on which the flat bottom face of the pivot pin B rests, as shown in Fig. 3. The rear half of said ivot pin is straight or provided with a vertically disposed convex bearing surface 3. and the body part of the switch is provided with a vertically disposed concave bearing surface 3' that surrounds the convex bearing surface on said pivot pin, thus producing a switch in which the body part and the tongue are provided with cooperating vertically disposed bearing surfaces of approximately twice the depth of the thickness of the tongue proper for resisting the lateral forces at the heel end of the tongue. The pivot pin B can either be formed solid or hollow. the pivot pin of the tongue herein shown being hollow.

The tongue B is locked in the body part of the switch in such a way that the heel end portion of the tongue cannot rise vertically accidentally, and in the embodiment of my invention herein shown the means employed for this purpose consists of a lip on the rear side of the pivot pin B at the lower end of same, which projects into a notch 4" formed in the rear wall of the chamber A and a member 5 that laps over or embraces a tapered part on the front side of the pivot pin B. The retaining member 5 extends transversely of the chamber A in front of the pivot pin of the tongue and is provided with an under-cut concave bearing surface that laps over a bearing surface 5" on the pivot pin that tapers upwardly. The end portions of the bearing member 5 extend under the top wallpf' the chamber A, asehown in -2,l and sa'id member is held pressed tightly against the pivot pin on the tongue means of a wedge 6 that is interposed between the member 5 and the front wall 7 of the chamber A, which is inclined as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, said wedge being'long enough so that the end portions of same will be engaged by the end walls of said chamber.

An adjustable actuating device, which is connected to the wedge 6, is arran ed in a housing C-that projects laterally rom the body part of the switch, as shown in Fig. 1. and in the form of my invention herein shown, said actuating device consists of a rod 8 pivotally connected at 8 to the wedge 6 and rovidcd at its outer end with a cap nut 9, aving a rounded end 9' that bears against the end wall 10 of the housing (J By rotating the nut 9 in one direction, the wedge 6 will be forced inwardly, thus moving the tongue 13 longitudinally of the body part of the switch, so as to compensate for wear on the cooperating bearing surfaces 3 and 3 on the pivot in of the tongue and on the body part of t is switch, respectively. After the nut 9 has been adjusted it is held securely locked in its adjusted position by means of a removable cover 11 on the housing C that is provided with one or more depending wings 12 which engage or embrace the nut 9, so as to prevent it from turning.

A tongue-locking mechanism of the construction above described can. be adjusted quickly; the cover or closure for the housing in which said mechanism is arranged serves to secure the locking mechanism in adjusted osition and as the rod 8 is combined with t e wedge 6 and pivotally connected to same it can be used as a handle for the wedge during the operation of inserting or removin the wedge. When it is desired to with aw the wedge, the rod 8 is swung upwardly into such a position that the workman can rasp it easily to withdraw the wedge, and w en the wed e is bein inserted, the cap nut 9 on the on of the r0 8 is placed in engagement with the end wall of t e housing C and downward pressure isapplied on the free end of the rod, so as to orce the wedge 6 snugly into position between the bearmg member 5 and the inclined front wall of the chamber A.

- A ton e switch of the construction above describe can be cast easily from manganese steel, owing to the fact that the parts of same are so designed that very little finishing is required, and all of the coiiperating surfaces on the tongue and on the body part which. require finishing are of such shape .that theyhcan be ground easily. The relatively eat area of the cooperatin vertiically. f isposed bearing surfaces at t e heel and of the tongue are ample to restrain the lateral forces at the heel endof the tongue,

and the broad fiat bearing surface at the lower end of the pivot pin of the tongue, resting on a horizontally disposed bearing surface on the body part of the switch, eliminates any tendency of the tongue to cock up and reduces wear on the pivot pin to a minimum.

Having thus described my what I claim is:

1. A tongue switch, comprising a body part. a tongue provided at its heel end with an integral pivot pin projecting downwardly into a chamber in said body part and provided with a fiat bottom face that rests upon a horizontally disposed bearing surface on the bottom of said chamber, the diameter of said pin being approximately equal to the widest art of the tongue and the rear side of said pin extending ilush with the rear end of the heel portion of the tongue, a retaining member in said chamber that bears upon the front face of said pivot pin and locks the tongue in operative position in the body part of the switch, and means on the rear side of said pivot pin that cooperates with the body part of the switch to prevent the heel end portion of the tongue from moving vertically.

2. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue provided at its heel end with an integral pivot in projecting downwardly into a cham er in said body part and provided with a flat bottom face that rests upon a horizontally disposed bearing surface on the bottom of said chamber, the transverse diameter of said pivot pin being approximately equal to the diameter of the heel portion of the tongue, a retaining member in said chamber that bears upon the front face of said pivot pin and locks the tongue in operative position in the body part of the switch, and a lip at the lower end of said pivot pin that projects rearwardly from same and enters a notch in the rear wall of said chamber.

3. A tongue switch provided at its heel end with an integralpivot pin whose rear half is convexed and substantially the same cross-sectional area throughout its entire height, the lower end of said pivot pin being flat and resting 113011 the bottom of a chamber, a lip on sai pivot pin that pro jects from the rear side of same and enters a notch in the rear wall of said chamber, a bearing member extendin transversely of said chamber and provide with an undercut concaved surface that embraces a ta pered surface on the front half of said pivot pin, and an adjustable device pivotally connected to said member in such a manner that it can be swung upwardly for locking the ton e in operative position in the body part of t e switch.

4. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue, and a locking mechanism for invention,

said tongue comprising a wedge and an adjusting device for same pivotally connected together in such a manner that said adjusting device can be swung upwardly relatively to the wedge.

5. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue, and a locking mechanism for said ton ue comprising a wedge, an adjustable device pivotally connected at one end to said wedge in such a manner that said adjusting device can be swung upwardly relatively to the wedge, and a stationary wall that acts as an abutment for the opposite end of said device.

6. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue, and a locking mechanism for said tongue comprising a wedge, a rod pivotally connected at one end to said wedge in such a manner that it can be moved upwardly into a substantially upright position, and an adjustable cap nut on the opposite end of said rod that is adapted to bear against one wall of the housing in which said rod is arranged.

7. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue provided at its heel end with an integral pivot pin, and a locking mechanism for said ton uc comprising a wedge and an adjustable evicc pivotally connected together, a housing in which said adjusting device is arranged, and a removable cover for said housing provided with means for locking said adjusting device.

8. A tongue switch, comprising a body part, a tongue provided at its heel end with an integral pivot pin, and a locking mechanism for said tongue comprisin a wedge, a rod pivotally connected to sahf wedge and provided with an adjusting nut, a housing in which said rod is arranged, and a removable cover for said housing provided with a device that engages said nut and prevents it from turnin 9. A tongue switch, comprising a body wart provided with a horizontally disposed caring surface on which the tongue slides and having a chamber at the rear of said bearing surface, a tongue provided at its heel end with an integral pivot pin whose lower end is flat and rests upon the bottom of said chamber, a vertically disposed convexed surface on the rear half of said pivot pin that is embraced by a vertically disposed concave surface on the body part of the switch, a lip that projects rearwardly from said pivot pin and enters a notch in the rear wall of said chamber located adjacent the bottom of same, a bearing member extending transversely of said chamber and embracing a tapered surface on the front side of said pivot pin, a wedge interposed between said bearing member and the front wall of said chamber which is inclined, a rod pivotally connected to said wedge and )rovided with an adjustable cap nut that has a rounded end, a housing on the body part of the switch for receiving said rod, and a removable cover for said housing provided with a. device that engages said cap nut and prevents it from rotating.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my si nature in the presence of two witnesses, this sixth day of May 1914.

ROBERT E. EINSTEIN.

\Vitnesses:

WnLLs L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained tot he cents each, by addressing the Gommhsloner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

